Many mosques welcome non-Muslim visitors, both in this country and abroad

SIR – I can put Mr Slater (Letters, July 8) in touch with any number of mosques where both he and his wife can be assured of a very warm welcome and detailed explanation of “what goes on”.

As it is the holy month of Ramadan, they can enjoy a sumptuous meal (on the house) after sunset, when Muslims break their fast. Lack of Arabic, I promise, is no constraint to the welcome they will receive.

Roohi Durrani Tadworth, Surrey

SIR – A short while ago I noticed a battered white Transit van parked in our church car park. There was so sign of the driver, so, fearing intruders, I went into the church.

The driver, a Muslim, was kneeling at the altar saying his prayers. When I spoke with him he said that he did this regularly, as our church was also a house of God and there was no mosque nearby.

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SIR – Many mosques, both here and abroad, welcome visitors. Certainly, Putra Mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia, and Sultan Mosque in Singapore are open to everyone. They even provide clothing and headgear if you come unsuitably dressed.

When my niece and I said we were practising Christians, we were warmly welcomed and shown verses from the Koran displayed outside, promoting peace and harmony.

Valerie O’Neill Worth, West Sussex

Miliband of brothers

SIR – Peter Oborne says that any fair-minded person would accept that Ed Miliband is a “decent, patriotic, trustworthy and honourable man”. Has he forgotten the circumstances under which Ed gained the Labour Party leadership at the expense of his own brother?

P W Bonsell Redhill, Nottinghamshire

Saved by the set

SIR – For her 60th birthday, I took my wife to see her favourite opera, La bohème, at the Met in New York (Letters, July 8).

The singing, as you would expect, was superb, but even more impressive was the staging by Franco Zeffirelli. It was so good that it made her forget that I had got the year wrong: she was only 59.

Leonard Glynn Bristol

EU enforcer

SIR – Lord Pearson is right to point out that the European Commission enjoys the monopoly to propose all EU legislation. It is also the sole enforcer of all EU law, and can impose massive fines as well. The scandal is that this unelected body discharges all these functions to the exclusion of our elected Parliament, subject only to the federalist judgments of the Luxembourg court. And whoever the Prime Minister appoints as our next Commissioner, subject to Jean-Claude Juncker’s approval, will have to swear allegiance to the EU and to ignore our national interest.

Sadly, five babies succumb to sudden infant death syndrome (Sids) every week in Britain. We still don’t know why babies die of Sids, but research has identified key risk factors. We welcome the draft guidelines from Nice that highlight research linking co-sleeping and Sids.

These guidelines are not meant to shame parents, but to enable them to make an informed decision about co-sleeping. Some of these risks, such as sharing sofas or beds with babies when combined with smoking, alcohol and drug-taking, are so high that both the Lullaby Trust and the NHS have issued strong advice against them for many years. It is important not to confuse co-sleeping Sids deaths with those caused by smothering. If we were to include these tragic deaths, then the figure of five a week would be even higher.

Francine Bates Chief Executive, The Lullaby Trust London SW1

Fussy tortoises

SIR – Ray Smart needs ideas for feeding his tortoise (Letters, July 8). My neighbours give their tortoise cooked French beans, which he has thrived on for many years.

Hilary Turner Epsom, Surrey

SIR – Timmy, our tortoise, would stick his head into half a tomato and munch on a lettuce leaf or two, but would only finish off with a Jacob’s Cream Cracker. Ordinary supermarket crackers were left untouched.

Malcolm McCoskery Buckhurst Hill, Essex

A white ensign alone denotes Her Majesty’s Ship

SIR – Lord Parmoor asks why “HMS” was painted on the new aircraft carrier (Letters, July 7). During my days in the Royal Navy, most ships’ names were displayed either side of the stern without HMS. It is obvious to most people that a ship flying the white ensign belongs to Her Majesty.

But why is the ship’s badge no longer displayed on the front of the bridge?

Alan Clayton Kirkby Malzeard, North Yorkshire

SIR – Most people do not know what HMS stands for. I am always hearing references to “the” HMS Nonsuch. On that subject: the Met Office should know that it is Salisbury Plain, not “the” Salisbury Plain.

John Newbury Warminster, Wiltshire

SIR – While we await dodgy American F35s for our new aircraft carrier, perhaps we should consider something more familiar to our Queen and Duke: the Fairey Swordfish biplane.

This could carry a torpedo, eight 60lb rockets under the wings, and eco-friendly bicycles strapped to the wing struts. With some modern electronics, it could carry cruise missiles and assorted weaponry.

If the Swordfish confused German gunners on the Bismarck, it might also confuse modern air-defence systems.

During royal fly-pasts, while other aircraft roar over Buckingham Palace, the Swordfish could land on the Mall, fold its wings, and squeeze into a garden party.

Alastair Henderson London W14

SIR – The new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has a top deck the size of three football pitches. With no planes to land on them, why doesn’t the Royal Navy host the football World Cup 2018, and take matches to all continents of the world? That would be a real World Cup.